


It's a small crime

by Elisexyz



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Undercover, well he gets busted but
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 09:05:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13784238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elisexyz/pseuds/Elisexyz
Summary: “You’re not mad,” he states, carefully. His posture looks awfully relaxed for someone who’s just been busted trying to steal samples and who knows what else from her lab, but it’s pretty evident that he’s on alert.“I’m mostly offended that you thought I wouldn’t notice anything,” she replies.





	It's a small crime

**Author's Note:**

> Another Tumblr prompt that was supposed to be a ficlet. [136: “Give me back my phone!” + Biospecialist](http://heytheredeann.tumblr.com/post/171245114024/136-give-me-back-my-phone-biospecialist). I didn't use the _exact_ phrase but close enough :P ~~I'm a cheater~~.

“I can explain.”

Jemma takes a couple of seconds to look at Grant’s vaguely distressed face as he backs away from the desk, and she can’t help letting out a disappointed sigh at the confirmation that her suspicions were well-founded.

“No need to,” she replies. “But you might want my help to access my computer. I don’t doubt that you managed to take a look at my password while you were busy pretending to _like_ me—” She allows herself to sound a bit spiteful, because she is. Hell, she really liked Grant, and the confirmation that he was just in for some espionage work stings. His face stays carefully neutral, with a hint of surprise at her accusation. “But many files are encrypted. I also have an hard-drive containing all my research, I assume that would come in handy.”

He’s studying her. She can see him struggling to understand what the hell she’s thinking, and it’s very satisfying to see that she’s getting back at him for playing her. It’s her turn to be in control, now.

“You’re not mad,” he states, carefully. His posture looks awfully relaxed for someone who’s just been busted trying to steal samples and who knows what else from her lab, but it’s pretty evident that he’s on alert.

“I’m mostly offended that you thought I wouldn’t notice anything,” she replies. Well, in all honesty, the only reason why she had a couple of suspicions was because she accidentally overheard a portion of a phone call. It wasn’t enough to be sure, though, but now that she _is_ , she’s starting to connect the dots. For example, she’s sure that it’s not a coincidence that her key to the lab disappeared a couple of days ago only to magically turn up a few hours after.

He cracks a smile. “I knew you would,” he retorts. “I was just hoping I could be done before you were sure.”

“No such luck,” she mumbles. Before she can think of a way to pose her request, Grant speaks.

“I wasn’t just playing, you know,” he says, taking a couple of steps towards her and giving her that enamoured look that had flattered her _so_ much in the past few weeks. “I care about you.”

Even if Jemma had never watched any TV in her entire life, she likes to think that she would have still immediately thought that that’s a textbook way to try and manipulate her into not denouncing him to her superiors.

Still, if he thinks that a cheap trick like this will convince her, might as well take advantage of his delusions.

“Then you won’t mind taking me with you, right?” she asks, smiling placidly.

He blinks, a slight frown appearing on his face. “What?”

“I’m tired of this small lab,” she states. “I have no family, no one that I can consider a close friend. I want an adventure.” And getting the chance to follow Grant around – he _is_ after all the only person she has started developing a somewhat meaningful relationship with since when she left home – and make him see that she _is_ worthy of those feelings that he pretended to have is a giant plus.

He looks pretty amused at her speech. “And you think that running away with me will accomplish that?” he asks.

“I think that you could use someone who knows what to do with my research,” she points out. She can be humble in front of people whose intelligence she respects or in front of science as a whole, but she knows her value and she knows that there aren’t many brains who can accomplish what she can. A part of her feels like the only thing that she would have needed to work in a company bigger and better equipped – not that that sets an high bar – than SHIELD is some luck. And probably some contacts in the business. “And I’m guessing that you work for someone who can give me some more opportunities than what I am offered here,” she adds. SHIELD surely doesn’t have the resources to send someone to spy on other companies, let alone someone who’s obviously been trained for this.

Grant is now full-blown grinning. “I always thought that your intelligence was wasted here,” he states, and Jemma allows herself to entertain the possibility that the sentiment is sincere and that he _does_ like her, at least a bit.

He pauses, maybe waiting for her to say something. She doesn’t, waiting for a proper answer to her offer. Maybe she should have threatened to denounce him if he doesn’t accept, but he’s probably taking that variable into account on his own, and honestly she’s not sure she _would_. She feels no real attachment to her employers, and she’s also still bitter because they shut down her latest project – the lack of founds she _gets_ , but dismissing her ideas as unnecessary and uninteresting was uncalled for.

“I thought you were pretty happy with your position here, though,” Grant finally comments.

“I don’t make it an habit of talking behind my superiors’ back,” she replies. And a part of it has also to do with the embarrassment she feels whenever she’s unfairly dismissed. Not to mention that Grant didn’t struck her as the kind of guy who appreciates _whining_.

He’s still smiling, but it’s softer now. “That’s too bad,” he comments, quietly, moving a few steps forward so that he can move some hair behind her ear. She always melts when he does that, and she’s sure he knows. “I would have offered you to come with me earlier, if I had known.”

“Does that mean you accept?” she asks, without masking a note of hopefulness in her voice.

He shrugs. “Why not? It’s not really my call whether you work with us or not, but I don’t see why anybody wouldn’t want you _and_ nobody but me has any say in whether we can run away together or not.” He offers another smile, and she can’t help returning it. It sounds a lot like a romantic get-away, and she’s not complaining.

“So, how about you help me get all the important stuff and then we swing by your apartment to get your things?” he offers.

“Great,” she replies, and she probably sounds like an excited kid, but following all the rules and quietly doing the work she was asked to do has only led to an unfulfilling and bleak life. She believes to be the master of her own fate, so now it’s time to take a new course of action: the time that she’s spent with Grant has made her feel _alive_ at least, and he offers quite a nice opportunity to change her course of life. Starting with _stealing_ from her own lab – which kind of makes it not-stealing, actually.

This is going to work out, she can feel it.

 

 

“All done,” she states, as Grant puts the last box on his truck. Most of what she has is equipment that she uses for research during her free time, and it’s probably not as much as most people would have to carry away if they decided to move, but it’s still a good thing that he has a truck.

“I should get to work in about an hour,” she adds, checking her phone. “What now?”

He clicks his tongue, taking a quick look at her. “Now…” he says, thoughtfully. Then he moves so fast that Jemma doesn’t have time to realize what he’s done until she’s staring at her phone in his hands. What, is pickpocketing in his resumé too?

“Hey, give it back,” she protests, trying not to make it sound childish.

“I don’t think I can do that,” he replies. His tone is apologetic, but somehow mockingly so. “This is traceable,” he adds, shaking the phone as if it wasn’t clear what he’s talking about.

“So?” she snaps, even if she’s confident she knows where he’s headed. She just doesn’t like that he took it away from her instead of _asking_. Show-off.

“ _So_ , if you want to do this rebellion thing—”

“ _Adventure_ ,” she corrects. Rebellion makes her sound like an hormonal teenager.

“Sure. Either way, you can’t be traceable,” he explains. Then, without much of a warning, he drops the phone on the ground and brutally steps on it. Jemma can’t help flinching slightly, because _ouch_. That’s her _phone_.

“You could have asked,” she points out, glaring at him.

“Sorry,” he replies, without sounding sorry in the _least_. Nice to see that grinning at her pissed off face wasn’t just a thing that he his cover liked to do.

He moves to the driver seat to duck in and take a burner phone to hand her. “You’ll use these from now on,” he instructs.

She nods, looking it over. It looks _ancient_ compared to her actual phone. She can’t help the slight grin that twists her lips, because this is just so _exciting_.

When she raises her head, Grant is smiling at her cheerfulness. “We’re going to meet my boss now,” he explains. “You’ll—” He pauses. “Well, maybe you won’t _love_ John right away, he kind of has a weird sense of humour. But he’ll love you and I’m sure you’ll warm up to him.”

“Are you two on first-name basis?” she asks, moved by sincere curiosity. The fact that Grant was undercover the whole time means that there’s a lot that she can learn about him, it means that she’ll have to navigate through all the information that she’s collected up until now and look for what’s real. Jemma always loves a good mystery.

He lets out a small laugh. “My family is a _bit_ more messed-up than I’ve previously led you to believe,” he explains. “But,” he adds, taking her hand and guiding her towards the door to the passenger seat. “I have all the time in the world to explain now.”

He’s smiling widely the way he did when she woke up in the morning to him cooking breakfast, and Jemma can’t help looking at the unchanged look on his face as a sign that maybe she has every right to hope that there are some real feelings in there.

“You do,” she confirms, smiling back.


End file.
